In the conventional construction of small wheeled vehicles, such as baby carriages and tricycles, the axle is usually locked within the hub of the wheel by use of a fastener such as a cotton pin. It is then common practice to provide a hub for the sake of appearance, since the cap serves no structural purpose in connection with the wheel. Furthermore, in most constructions, the hub cap is peculiarly constructed to attach to the hub of the wheel, so that it is necessary to produce a different hub cap for each type of wheel. This is particularly true because of the fact that the wheels come with 8, 12, or 16 spokes and that no hub cap will fit all three types. Also, it is common for the hub caps to become dislodged, either during shipment or during use, and this reflects on the reputation of the manufacturer. Furthermore, the old type of construction is labor-intensive (which adds to the cost of the vehicle) and uses a complex construction which also adds to the cost. These and other difficulties experienced with the prior art devices have been obviated in a novel manner by the present invention.
It is, therefore, an outstanding object of the invention to provide a hub cap for use with a spoked wheel which cap can be applied to wheels having 8, 12, or 16 spokes.
Another object of this invention is the provision of a hub cap which serves to connect a spoked wheel to its axle.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of a device for joining an axle to the hub of a wheel, which device also acts as an ornamental cap.
It is another object of the instant invention to provide a hub cap for use with a spoked wheel, which cap is simple in construction, which is inexpensive to manufacture, and which is capable of a long life of useful service with a minimum of maintence.
A still further object of the invention is the provision of a hub cap assemblage for joining a wheel and its axle, which construction uses relatively little labor and that labor is unskilled.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a hub cap assembly system for wheeled vehicles which will permit shipping in an unassembled state and will permit rapid and simple reconstruction by the purchaser.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a hub cap for ornamentation of a spoked wheel, which cap also serves to lock the wheel on the axle.
With these and other objects in view, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the invention resides in the combination of parts set forth in the specification and covered by the claims appended hereto.